How To Use OCs
by Lucy Labrador
Summary: Shadow helps demonstrate how Own Characters should be used in stories.


**Own Characters: How They Should Be Used**

**I know, I too have used a few OCs in my stories and possibly not in the right way in the past either. But now that I've come to know more about writing Fanfiction, I understand it more now and have a very strong opinion on Own Characters. I don't like them!**

**At first site of an OC I'll flee from reading a story, unless they have been introduced in the right way and are not Mary Sue of Gary Stu. Here, I will use Shadow to demonstrate just how OCs should be and shouldn't be used.**

Cinos The Hedgehog was running at the speed of sound, no, _faster_ than the speed of sound. He seemed he looking for someone-

"Wait, what's the hell is this?" Shadow butted in, Cinos stopped where he was and looked at the black hedgehog who had an annoyed expression on his face. "Who are you!"

"I'm Cinos-"

"_**Yeah Shadow, it's Cinos, Duh, everyone should know who he is, even though I've not explained what he looks like one bit. Since I have him pictured in my mind, every one should see it!**_" the author's voice came.

"You can't just start a story like that as if all of the readers would know who this… stupid recolor of Sonic with his name backwards is. Seriously… what are you people thinking?" Shadow yelled.

"_**How should it be done then, Shadow?**_" the voice came in an arrogant tone.

"Hmph." Shadow said and all went white.

The blue hedgehog, known as Sonic was relaxing in a meadow, nothing could ruin his holiday, it was all going so well so far, it seemed as if nothing could spoil it now. Until seemingly out of nowhere, plumes of dust started to rise up, making Sonic cough. The dust and smoke faded to reveal a hedgehog he had never seen before.

"Umm, can I help you?" Sonic asked, looking at the red hedgehog that had exactly the same hair as him, with blue eyes and similar shoes which were green where the red would have been.

"I am Cinos, and I'm here to defeat you-"

"Well done guys, that's a little better, we don't just have to leave _Cinos' _appearance to the reader's imagination!" Shadow said, sneering when he said the name of the Gary Stu. "…although, it think their imaginations would make the character a little more interesting that that anyway…" he said under his breath.

"_**Yeah, but now it's not all about my fan character, it's about Sonic!**_" the author complained.

"That's the point. If a story is all about your un original OC, readers are going to turn away." Shadow said.

"Umm, Shadow buddy, who are you talking to?" Sonic asked from behind him. Shadow sent a punch backwards, sending Sonic down and skidding against the floor painfully.

"Hey!" Cinos yelled angrily, not liking what Shadow had done.

"Shut up Fakers! Good luck with this absurd recolor Sonic." Shadow grumbled and left.

Shadow was now sitting alone in the city, looking bored and frustrated. The events of today had annoyed him enough, and it wasn't even midday. Everything could in fact, possibly get worse from there.

Shadow noticed a female hedgehog who looked amazingly pretty, with amazing curves, long eyelashes, sparkling eyes, wearing a mini skirt, high heals and tank top. She had black and pink fur and her hair was a bit like Amy's but longer and with pink tips below the black.

She was walking past him, once she was half way past the bench she stopped and sighed, as if she was waiting for something to happen. Once she got no reaction from anyone, he turned to Shadow and stamped her foot. "Hello!" She said arrogantly and impulsively.

"Can I help you?" Shadow sighed, putting his elbow of the arm rest of the bench he was sitting on, and laying his chin on it, not looking bothered one bit.

"This doesn't make any sense, you're supposed to be awed at my amazing good looks." the girl said rudely.

"Right, that's it, stop right there." Shadow said.

"_**What is it now?**_" The author's voice was heard by both Shadow and the newcomer. The girl looked around for the voice confusedly.

"You don't see it?" Shadow said in disbelief, he got up and pointed to the girl. "She's unrealistically pretty, so much so that she's unattractive to me. I would never want to be paired up with this Mary Sue, or anyone like her for that matter." Shadow complained. "Yes, I'm talking to you reader."

"_**Well, who do you want then?**_" the author asked curiously.

"I don't want anyone, thank you very much… goodbye." Shadow said and walked away from the girl, leaving her speechless.

Shadow felt his stomach rumble and decided it was time for some food. He made his way to a place where he could buy food. He wanted something he could take away, he didn't want to eat where everyone would be looking at him.

He went into a bakery where he would be able to chose something easy to eat. He waited in line and when it was his turn, he chose a sausage roll. They looked delicious. The woman serving him at the counter smiled, gave him his food and change. She looked like a teenager or young adult.

Shadow left and went to eat his sausage roll. He found a quiet place in the area to sit and eat it.

One convenient time jump later, it was getting dark and all of the near by shops were shutting down for the evening. All of a sudden, he heard someone screaming. "Stop him! He's taken my bag! He's stolen all of my money!" Shadow heard a woman screaming.

He then saw a thief running off with a bag, Shadow knew what to do. He ran in front of the man, blocking his path. He then leapt up and tackled him to the floor. "Give me the bag you scum!" Shadow hissed. The thief gave up, not wanting to get a beating from Shadow, The Ultimate Life Form. Shadow took the bag and went to find who it belonged to while the man ran away before the police could be called.

A young woman came running towards him. "Thank you so much- oh, it's you again." she said cheerily.

Shadow looked at her in confusion. "Hmm… you served me at the bakery, right? What a… coincidence…" Shadow said in deep thought.

"Again, thank you so much." she said while Shadow gave the bag back to her. "My names-"

"Okay… that's the way you introduce an OC." Shadow butted in. "Slowly brining them in from an unimportant side character, to someone who will have a small significance to the story. But not much." Shadow said and walked off, leaving the woman speechless, wondering what had just happened.

"Then you keep her on the side. Perhaps slowly bring me to fall in love with her, I'd never suddenly be love struck. Why human when the whole Sonic and Elise thing was hated? Because, it's not Mary Sue, that's why." Shadow continued to explain.

"_**I think I understand.**_" The author said in thought.

"Sure, there may be some readers who may like these Own Characters, but there are a lot who don't like them and basing a story off just them with real characters on the side is just annoying. Also, what's even worse is when a story is all about an OC and no one else, just because they're of Mobian form, it doesn't mean it's a Sonic story." Shadow said as he continued to walk along.

"_**Okay then**__…_" the author sighed.

"Keep their roles to a minimum. Readers come to Fanfiction to read about me anyway." he said firmly and walked off into the distance, his work here was done.

**Of course, some of those tips could be classed as opinion based, like it was said, some people like OCs, at least I think they do. My OCs have been accepted by my readers, but that's because they're not Mary Sue at all-**

**Shadow: Yeah right.**

**Like I said, I have made these mistakes before…**

**Lucy Labrador**


End file.
